060 - Appartements Gambetta  St Jean de Luz

In our opinion

What makes Appartements Gambetta a great holiday rental?

If you are looking for an apartment near the beach and close to all amenities but with more character than a larger résidence, then Appartements Gambetta provide an excellent answer. There is a host of fine restaurants, cafés and boutiques right on the doorstep and the beach is just 2 minutes' walk. This is a perfect place to relax and enjoy the fashionable resort of St Jean de Luz.

Best for:
Couples wanting to explore the Basque region and Spain, or just relax and enjoy spending time in a picturesque town.

Suitability for:

Couples or 2 adults.

Anything to watch out for?

Stairs only at this property - no lift.

Why St Jean de Luz?
One of our favourites. A colourful and proudly Basque fishing port and holiday resort. A superb & safe town beach.

Accommodation

Apartments in a renovated town house near the beach in the heart of St Jean de Luz

5x 1 bedroom apartments and 1x studio apartment in a 4-storey townhouse - walking distance from boutiques, restaurants and the beach. All are furnished simply, but with charm.

Inside:

The entrance is via a pedestrianised street into a pleasant entrance hall. A wooden staircase at the rear leads to all floors.

1 Bedroom Apartments
Accommodation comprises: lounge with TV and convertible double sofa-bed; bedroom with 160cm double or 80cm twins; bathroom with shower fitting and WC; Kitchenette equipped with hob, dishwasher, coffee-maker and microwave/grill; small dining table. Apartments are located on the first, second and top floors. There are views from the top floor apartment kitchen window over the town to la Rhune.

Studio Apartment
Same as the 1 bedroom apartment but with only a double sofa-bed in the lounge. Located on the top (3rd) floor.

Shared Facilities
In the basement is a laundry room with washing machine, dryer plus iron and ironing board.

Prices & Availability

Location

GPS: (43.38969593, -1.659480035)

We endeavour to be as accurate as possible using Google maps but some error is possible.

Things to Do & See

Nearby Activities
Surfing · Windsurfing · Sailing · Water-skiing · Jet-skiing · Kayaking · Golf · Cycling · Horse-riding · Birdwatching · Fishing · Spa & thalassotherapy · Mountain biking · Mountain sports ·

Day-trip Ideas

• A tour of Basque country villages: Ascain, Ainhoa, Sare, La Bastide Clairance Cambo-les-Bains, Espelette and St-Jean-Pied-de-Port. On the coast, take in Bidart & Guéthary.
• A visit to Bayonne, the under-rated ‘capital’ of the Pays Basque
• Wine-tasting in the vineyards of Irouleguy
• A visit to the city of Pau for sight-seeing, boutique shopping and café-crawling
• Crossing the border into Spain for a visit to San Sebastian, Pamplona or the Guggenheim museum at Bilbao

Our Personal Highlights

• Take Le Petit Train de la Rhune to the peak - over 900m high, and amazing views
• Enjoy a Spanish-influenced seafood meal in one of the pedestrianised streets
• Cross the border for early evening tapas in San Sebastien - a must!
• If you're a novice try a surf taster lesson at Hendaye plage or, for more advanced surfers, Lafitenia
• Pamper yourself with a treatment at the Helianthal spa centre in St Jean de Luz, or Serge Blanco's centre in Hendaye

The Local Area: St Jean de Luz

Because of its mild climate, popular towns and abundance of all-year-round activities to pursue, the Pays Basque attracts visitors throughout the year. In fact, Spring and Autumn can be wonderful times to visit - warm and quiet.

The Basque Country is a little world all of its own. The regional cuisine and architecture provide character enough but more than that, this ‘country’ also has its own language. For a ‘formal’ introduction to Basque culture, try the Musée Basque at Bayonne. However, the best way to soak up the culture is to visit one of the many fêtes or ‘festivals of strength’ that take place in the high season, or, even better, watch a game of pelota. The fastest ball game in the world, this is perhaps the most vivid image of Basque country.

Biarritz and St Jean de Luz are on your doorstep and whether its beaches, shops, restaurants or festivals you are looking for, both of these towns are hard to beat. Stylish but without the pretence of the Riviera, both are colourful and vibrant seaside towns with plenty of family evening entertainment. They are the sorts of places where you will see whole families sitting down to start dinner at 10.30pm! St Jean de Luz is recognised as the capital of Basque cuisine and is noted for its seafood (it is one of Rick Stein’s favourite places) and use of the spicy Basque staple pimento, .

A few kms inland is the local mountain pass into Spain, the Col d’Ibardin. This was formerly a smuggling route and today is still a place to buy cheap wine and spirits. These mountain pass towns exist all along the Pyrénées.

A great trip for the kids is a ride on Le Petit Train de la Rhune. Standing over 900m high, La Rhune is the distinct and symbolic peak of the western Pyrénées. It can be reached by foot – a lovely day’s walking – or by funicular train. The 360 degree views from the summit are spectacular.

There are great beaches all along the coast from the Spanish border at Hendaye, north into the Landes and Gironde départements. Because the Côte d’Argent is so vast, the beaches are less crowded than on the Mediterranean.

The area is totally under-visited for its golf despite the game’s rich history in this region and the presence of some wonderful courses: Chantaco, Nivelle, Biarritz Le Phare, Arcangues, Makila, Chiberta, Hossegor, Seignosse and Moliets are all within an hour’s drive. José-Maria Olazabal’s course, Fuenterrabia, is just across the border into Spain. Horse-riding, mountain-biking and fishing are also popular. Surfers will already be familiar with the Côte Basque, and there are plenty of surf schools for beginners.

Thalassotherapy and thermal spa are big attractions in this area – people come from all over France for sea and freshwater therapies; there are venues across the region including Hendaye, St Jean de Luz, Biarritz and Dax.

The countryside is a delight; the rolling green hills are popular with the few British visitors that the region receives. The foothills rise to the mountains of the Pyrénées which are home to dozens of hiking trails including the famous coast-to-coast GR10 track. Eagles and wild horses roam the mountains and, if you're unlucky, you might bump into a brown bear (only 6 individual bears are known to exist and they live much further east in the high Pyrénées) - this is one of Europe’s most exotic wildlife locations. Bird-watchers will be kept busy twitching. The Pyrénées also provide thrill-seekers with a range of extreme sports from white-water rafting to paragliding. The mountain landscapes are at their finest in the Haut-Béarn region.

Customer Reviews

“The location was superb, it had everything we needed.”

Mrs R Martin, stayed in 2010

“We were extremely happy with apartment. Truly the perfect locale.”

Mrs A Ganas, stayed in 2008